I came across a quote the other day that really resonated with me. It’s by G.K. Chesterton, an English writer and philosopher. “The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” We mostly fall into the traveler camp, but there are times when we travel with purpose in order to see what has been deemed unmissable, such as several stops along the Romantic Road in Germany. But really, how many quaint medieval towns and castles do we need to see? As it turns out, not that many.
After two nights at Bad Mergentheim, we made our way about 40 kilometers to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, one of the most popular stops along the Romantic Road. It’s difficult for us to know how much of an impact COVID-19 is having in places like this because we’ve not experienced it pre-COVID, but it was the busiest place we’ve been so far. Still, we had no trouble finding an outdoor table at a restaurant in the main square and the Christmas shop was nearly empty when we visited. I suspect that is not typical in years prior.
It was a lovely town which we enjoyed very much. The stellplatz where we stayed was walking distance to the Old Town, so we had easy access to the shops, bakeries, and restaurants. The walls surrounding the Old Town are still intact, complete with a catwalk from which we enjoyed views across the town. This was a highlight for Steven.
After our wall walking we spent the rest of the day dealing with a plumbing issue in Bijou, with some measure of success, I am happy to report. Water is once again flowing freely down the drains, though it is not quite 100%.
We also spent some time discussing our travels and looking ahead. We had originally thought we’d stop and see several places along the route, but the weather forecast for the immediate future was not in our favor. Plus, after our slow roll along the rivers, we were ready to get our skates on. We left Rothenburg and drove to Füssen at the end of the Romantic Road, making only one stop along the way at the Pilgrimage church in Weis, a UNESCO Heritage site.
When we arrived at the church I realized how lucky we are to see places like this without the crowds. There are the usual eateries and souvenir shops that pop up alongside places like this and I can see how lines would form. As it was, we walked right into the church, which was beautiful and afterward we had a sausage, fries and a beer. Mine was essentially a hotdog, which I do not like and Steven had a currywurst which was, in my opinion, only marginally less revolting. So far, Germany has been a disappointment in the sausage department. Who would have thought?
After visiting the church we made our way to Füssen which is nestled in a valley below the towering Alps. Everything was green and lush, and off in the distance we could see the stunning Neuschwanstein Castle. We got parked up and immediately hopped on our bikes and took off for the castle. We wanted to check out the bike parking and bus situation, because the following morning, we intended to be the first people in line for the first bus of the day. It is possible to walk up, but we decided to ride the bus instead so we could beat the crowd.
Turns out, we were the only people on the first bus of the day and there wasn’t a crowd at all. We did not intend to tour the castle, rather we just wanted to visit the bridge above it and the grounds. Looking ahead at the weather paid off when we had a gorgeous day for our visit, which of course resulted in some beautiful photos. We enjoyed the walk down and by the time the castle opened for business we were back in the village sipping lattes and scarfing apple strudel. A lovely morning! We spent a few more hours just biking through the valley which was about as perfect a day as we can conjure!
We stayed in Füssen for four days, one of which was a chore day. Upon departure we had planned to visit a couple of places nearby, but our next big stop was the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s Bavarian summer home up in the mountains. Looking ahead at the weather, we once again realized we needed to get going if we were to have any hope of a good view, so we took off, skipping by a few more German villages as we went.
We climbed a couple of roads we shouldn’t have been on, like 24% grade roads, but we made it to our overnight spot near the Eagle’s Nest. Once we made our way to the museum, we found out that it was closed until 2021. GRRRR! We then thought we could hike up but were told the trails were also closed. Double GRRRR! This is the first place we’ve been that is closed due to the virus.
We thought about staying put, but once we realized we couldn’t visit the place we decided to bug out for Salzburg. To prepare for our visit there, we had a date to watch The Sound of Music! The hiiiiills are aliiiiiive, with the sound of muuuusic. (ah, ah, ah, ah…) Who else knows all the words to all the songs? Just me?
UP NEXT: Stunning Salzburg!
…
“And songs we have sung, for a thousand years!!!” Hope Salzburg is everything you hope it will be. I visited Rothenburg ob de Tauber once upon a time on a work trip and remember that Christmas shop well. And wow – what schnitzels! Love your castle photos and of the surrounding area. I’m glad you guys are getting to see things for the most part. Travel now is still a bit weird. Safe travels!
The words to those songs are etched in our memories! And we didn’t even have DVDs or streaming! We have been very lucky with our travels, but frankly I need to be done with the big cities. Still a few to go, though…
My what beautiful country that is . I would have wanted to see every room in that castle . I can not believe what they were able to build so long ago , ( no cordless tools ) Schnitzel look’s a lot like the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich from the Midwest that I grew up on and love . ( not found here in Idaho ) I can’t imagine a 24% grade , going up or down unless skiing is involved or sledding . Thanks for all the great photo’s . Vern in Boise ( hiding at home with a mask on )
So, here’s the thing about that castle, it’s not even finished yet! The guy who built it, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, was a nutter and he only lived in it for less than 6 months. Ah, to be rich and crazy. 🙂 Anyway, we would not be allowed to take photos, so there’s that, too. As always, good to hear from you, Vern! Glad you are being safe in Boise!
Anxiously await your post and just love reading and see the pics. Stunning! You two make a great team, great writing, great pics!
We are in British Columbia and hoping to travel sometime this winter to Europe, if things open up, doesn’t look the US for us this year.
Not looking forward to winter here in the RV (tin can).
Enjoy, stay safe and well.
Yeah, it’s not looking good for Americans this year in Europe. You can get in, but then you have to quarantine. I can’t imagine wintering over in British Columbia in an RV! That just sounds cold! But maybe on the coast, I could have done it in Seattle the weather is not so bad there. Thanks for your kind words and for taking time to comment!
Our travel philosophy is to have an idea of the things we want to see but to enjoy all of the unexpected things we encounter along the way. Like the kitty trashcan! Strolling the city walls looks like fun, too. You’ll love Dubrovnik with the red-tiled roofs overlooking the sea. So did you buy that interesting leather outfit with the codpiece for Steven? 😝
Geez, Laurel. After reading your description of that outfit I had to go back and look at that photo, because I thought it was just a cute little lederhosen. You make it sound so much more exotic! 🙂
Shame about the Eagle’s Nest guys. I was a tad disappointed with the place if I remember right, but I’d have been miffed to miss it – in tourist mode – sometimes I just want to tick something off. Enjoying seeing a new Europe through your eyes, thank you. Loved that bin too – wonderful how people make art from otherwise ugly things. Jay
We read the account of your visit and figured given all the enclosed buses and elevators, it made sense that there was no way to social distance. But, we could have hiked up, dammit! The views have to be worth it, at least, that’s’ what I tell myself. 🙂 Glad to see you on the road and out doing what you love!
Love, love, love your commentary and pics!! Thank you so much for posting.
Thanks, Donna! My pleasure, I’m glad you are enjoying our posts! Thanks for taking time to comment!